


When I'm Older

by WizStreetColfer



Series: The More Days I Get To Hold You Verse [3]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, One Shot, Plans For The Future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:33:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24011350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WizStreetColfer/pseuds/WizStreetColfer
Summary: Ianto can't help but think about how he's ageing  and Jack's not.
Relationships: Jack Harkness & Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Series: The More Days I Get To Hold You Verse [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1917238
Comments: 2
Kudos: 57





	When I'm Older

Ianto stares at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. 

He doesn't know how he came to look like this. He looked at this face everyday and yet it seems so unfamiliar. The days whizzed by and everyday life seemed to disappear in a blur. Memories of happiness seeped through in precious short lived moments and there was never enough time in the day anymore to do what he had to do. 

He put down the razor and ran a finger over his freshly shaven skin. His skin was still pretty smooth, moisturising throughout the years had definitely helped. For a 55 year old man he wasn't doing too bad, still looking as though he was in his early forties anyway; but that didn't make him feel any less old. He still looked older than the man he loved dearly. 

Quickly rinising his face with water and applying the greatly appreciated moisturiser, Ianto thought about Jack. The much older gentleman still looked as young as ever. He tried not to think about what might happen as he himself got even older. Jack had the odd grey hair. Ianto was now mostly grey. He had thought about dieing it back to it's original colour, but Jack had said he looked handsome with grey hair. 

"Knock, knock," Jack said opening the door, "you get lost in here?" 

Ianto let out a light laugh and turned on the spot to greet his husband. "I thought I would never get out of here," he said playfully.

Jack laughed and raised his hand to Ianto's face, "well I'm glad I found you." He leaned in close and gently gave Ianto a kiss. Every kiss with Ianto was so special, he cherished them all. When they parted they took a moment to admire the others eyes before stepping back.

"I hate to ruin the moment but I kinda need-"

Ianto darted round him and stepped out of the bathroom, "I'll make coffee."

"Good plan."

Ianto walked through the hallway to the joint kitchen and living room. The room itself was quite spacious and was plenty big enough for both Ianto and Jack's stuff. He walked into the kitchen area and made drinks for the two of them. Secretly basking in the scent of coffee as always. 

He was just setting the drinks on the table when Jack came back through. Simultaneously however, so did the Tardis. 

"Oh god," Ianto said sipping his drink, wondering where Jack was needed this time. 

The doors to the Tardis opened and the Doctor popped their head out of the door, "hello again, only me." 

"Doctor," Jack smiled, "what can we do for you?" 

"I'll explain on the way," the Doctor said, "we need to leave here now though it's important."

Jack sighed and placed a kiss on Ianto's cheek before stepping inside the Tardis. For Ianto he knew he would be merely stepping in and out of the Tardis, but for him he was about to go to god knows where for god knows how long. They had agreed not to drag out goodbyes. As much as Jack worried sometimes about whether or not he would really be coming back, he didn't see the point in upsetting his husband when in his time they would be parted for mere minutes. 

"5 minutes Doctor," Ianto said glancing over at the clock on the wall, "he has a coffee waiting for him."

"Of course," the Doctor said using his screwdriver to set a stopwatch and then handing it to Ianto. It was a special stopwatch designed to allow the Tardis to track his destination and the time it needed to land. Jack wanted to ensure he wasn't accidentally leaving Ianto alone for weeks, months, or even years and therefore made the stopwatch - okay he made Tosh to make the stopwatch - back at the hub a couple of decades ago. 

Ianto smiled thinking about their Torchwood base as the Tardis disappeared. He still went there from time to time, but Jack had much younger field agents to work with now. Ianto wouldn't be able to run as much as they used to now. His moisturiser wasn't that good! Himself and Tosh continued working in the hub. Owen was still on hand as a doctor but that's all he did nowadays. Gwen had started up another Torchwood base in London and kept in contact. It was strange thinking about when they were younger now. Especially when Jack hadn't seemed to have aged at all. 

Suddenly there was a bright light and Ianto watched as Jack appeared in front of him. 

"Ianto..."

Ianto knew straight away he was from a distant future. This Jack had white hair, laughter lines around the eyes, and speaking of the eyes - they looked much older; wiser. 

"Jack, you're... what's going on?" 

"I haven't got much time to explain, I'll be back in a minute with the Doctor." Jack stepped forward and gently placed a hand over Ianto's cheek, similar to the way younger Jack had done this morning. 

"God you're beautiful..."

Ianto couldn't help but feel sad. Tears were suddenly in his eyes. This Jack knew a life without him. Ianto gently pulled the man in for a hug. No matter what part of history he was from, Jack was his husband. He felt the other man relax and the two of them stayed in each other's embrace. 

"How long has it been since I..." Ianto couldn't bare to answer the question.

"Centuries." Jack had tears running down his cheeks, "I love you Ianto."

Ianto looked into Jack's eyes and gently wiped the tears with his thumb, "I love you too - always." 

"I... I just came because I know this morning you were looking in the mirror, worrying about being old. I promised myself I would come visit you when I started to look old... so at least once we can be old together." 

The two of them stood there with tears streaming down their faces, trying to console the other.

"I miss you Yan," Jack said, "I carry you with me always." Jack took a locket out from behind his t-shirt and opened it up. Inside Ianto saw two photos of himself. "I cherish you always, Ianto."

The Welshman couldn't help but smile, wiping his tears from his eyes. "I'll always be in here." He closed the locket and placed it over Jack's chest where his heart would be. Jack leaned forward and kissed Ianto softly. The kiss seemed to melt all of older Jack's troubles away.

"You're so special to me Ianto..." Jack said glancing at the clock, "I better go..."

Ianto handed him the coffee he had made for present day Jack. "For the road?" 

"Mmm," Jack took a sip and looked as though he was gonna cry again, "nothing tastes better than your coffee either."

Ianto smiled at the man. So different from his husband now but also the same. 

Jack laughed looking down at the cup, "I always wondered what happened to my favourite mug!" He laughed again, "goodbye Ianto... you mustn't tell me."

"I won't," Ianto said, "goodbye Jack - I love you."

"I love you too.

The man across from him pressed a button on his wrist strap and he was gone. 

Ianto wasn't sure whether to feel happy or sad. He smiled at the thought of older Jack, he had looked roughly the same age as Ianto currently was. That fact alone warmed his heart ever so much.

He took a sip from his own coffee and set to work making Jack another drink as the noise of the Tardis appearing started to ring in his ears.

"Hey!" Jack walked out as soon as the Tardis landed. He was in a different shirt than before. Ianto couldn't wait to hear about the adventures he had been on this time. The Captain walked straight to Ianto and hugged him from behind as Ianto finished making the coffee.

"Miss me?" Ianto smiled.

"So much," Jack span him round and kissed him passionately. Ianto hummed into the kiss, enjoying the way his husband was practically pinning him to the kitchen counter. 

"Can you guys keep it PG," the Doctor said, "you have guests." 

At that moment Gwen, Toshiko and Owen stepped out of the Tardis.

"Wait did you all go somewhere without me?" Ianto asked.

"No," Tosh said moving to hug her friend. It was only when Tosh moved closer that he realised it wasn't present day Tosh. These were past versions of his three friends from Torchwood. "We already dropped younger you off," Tosh said, "we were kinda curious as to how old was old when Jack said he was from our future."

"What..." Ianto looked at them all and took into account they looked like they had all been swimming, "oh- submarine?" 

"Of all the places in the universe we could go," Owen raised his eyebrows unimpressed. 

"It was good though wasn't it?" Gwen said, the smile she sported seem to be infectious as everyone else in the room smiled too.

"Yeah it was..." Ianto said, "I can't believe we were with a different Jack and you all neglect to tell me..." Ianto looked at his husband, amazed that he had met this version of the man loved before. 

"It's complicated," Jack said.

The Doctor stepped in before anyone else could speak, "speaking of complicated, we better get going."

Goodbyes were said and Ianto and Jack were left in their kitchen. This had all taken place in the space of 10 minutes. It was a lot to take in. "So got any fun stories to tell me?" Ianto asked holding onto his cup of coffee and leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Well," Jack said after taking a sip from his own coffee, "I did pick up these from that treasure chest we found... you remember the treasure?" 

Ianto nodded, finding treasure at the bottom of the ocean as if they were pirates had been something to remember. 

"Well they were identical," Jack said, "and I thought... one for me, one for you!" 

Ianto's smile widened as he realised it was two of the lockets that the future Jack had worn. "I love them!" Ianto exclaimed putting one over Jack's head and then the other over his own, "this way I can carry you with me always."

Jack had started to blush. Something only Ianto could make him do.

"What a brilliant idea." 


End file.
